We’ve been digging since the dawn of time – turning earth in search of water, metals, minerals and gems. Caves, tunnels, crypts, bunkers, treasure vaults, food storage – purposely hewn testaments to our ingenuity.
Bingham Canyon Copper Mine in Utah is the largest man made hole on the planet. Three quarters of a mile deep, two and a half miles wide, In continuous production since 1906 – now owned by United Kingdom based Rio Tinto – it dodged falling copper prices and a planned closure in 2013, when copper prices began to climb. Rio Tinto has plans to build a second mine, 2000 feet beneath the floor of the existing open pit.
Second place goes to the Mirny Diamond Mine in Siberia -1,722 feet deep and 3,900 feet wide – between 1955 and 2001, it produced over 10 million carats of diamonds every year. Large scale mining has ceased in the open pit, mining activity now takes place underground.
Kimberly Mine in South Africa deserves mention for reaching a depth of 705 feet, width 3,600 feet – dug entirely by hand. Between 1871 and 1914. upwards of 50,000 men armed with picks and shovels, extracted 6000 pounds of diamonds from this ridiculously steep round hole.
Fascinating holes.
I’ve always been fond of digging holes 🙂
I am in awe about black holes.
Did you know that most black holes are only a mile or so wide? The science fiction blacks holes – the ones gobbling whole planets are known as super-massive black holes – much less common 🙂
I love black holes…
I feel so tiny when I compare myself to them.
I love that our galaxy marches to a ridiculously massive one at the centre of the Milky Way. I’m also rather fond of dark matter 🙂
Fond?
I am attracted!
I’m hoping light-bulbs go off in theoretical physics labs at some point in my lifetime 🙂
Wasn’t there some grand conspiracy about something the Russians found? Oh wait, it was heard. They heard Hell, and recorded it.
Haha – so the story goes 🙂 Actually many a hole is reported to emit the screams of hell.
They were worried the bloody Aussies would come through from the other end – THAT’s the real reason they closed it!
Yep, there’s nothing more Australians long for than a good patch of frozen Siberian tundra 🙂
”G,day!’ How’s y’squirter, Ivan? Fancy a frosty?”
Don’t forget the Slip n’ Slide… a staple of every good barbie.